Senate GOP lays out priorities for next COVID relief bill

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sketched out some of the priorities Senate Republicans expect to take on in their next COVID-19 relief bill, including $105 billion for schools, more loans through a federal lending program, and liability protections for businesses and other institutions, NPR reports.

The plan, estimated to be about $1 trillion in size, would also likely include additional unemployment support and a second round of stimulus checks. 

Further details remain unclear as congressional Republicans continue to clash with the White House on what priorities should be included. President Donald Trump has insisted that a payroll tax cut be included along with less funding for coronavirus testing, which GOP senators have opposed. 

Inclusion of legal liability limitations for businesses, nonprofits and other institutions, which would limit lawsuits from frontline workers, will likely cause strife with House Democrats. Similarly, provisions in the $3 trillion HEROES Act passed by the House of Representatives in May would also face opposition in the Senate. 

Nearly $1 trillion in aid to state governments is one major portion of the bill that McConnell has previously opposed, arguing that financial support to states should be tailored specifically to costs related to the pandemic. New York elected officials have largely endorsed calls for additional federal aid to state governments, which has caused the state to suspend contracting for nonprofits and slash services like substance abuse treatment.